


Girls' Trip

by Odae



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24836761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Odae/pseuds/Odae
Summary: The girls of the gaang take a trip to Ember Island.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 64





	Girls' Trip

**Author's Note:**

> There is an instance of some sexual harassment in this! Katara is approached by someone while under the influence. It is brief, and he only touches her wrist, but I mention it in case it could be triggering for anyone. If I should include more warnings in the tags or in my ratings, please let me know--I am new here and am open to suggestions of how to treat this kind of material!

“Oh, my gosh, Suki, I’m so excited to see everyone again!”

Suki looks away from the approaching ship to Ty Lee standing next to her on the dock. Or, more accurately, jumping up and down on the dock. The two have traded their heavy Kyoshi uniforms for the light, midriff-baring style popular on Ember Island. 

“Me, too,” Suki says warmly. “It’s been so long since we’ve all been together.”

“And I’m so glad they convinced Mai to come, too,” Ty Lee adds. Her eyes widen and she erupts into a squeal as the ship reaches the dock, and a staircase lowers from the shipside to the ground in front of them. After a few seconds, Mai comes down the stairs, followed by Katara guiding and holding Toph’s hand. All are dressed in the bright reds of the Fire Nation in styles similar to Suki and Ty Lee’s.

“It’s so good to see you both!” Katara cries once they reach the bottom, running to hug Suki.

Ty Lee enwraps Mai in a bone-crushing hug, crying, “You have no idea how happy I am to see you!”

“Move over, Sweetness,” Toph says to Katara, “I wanna say hi to Suki, too.”

Suki laughs as she hugs the younger girl, then pulls back, asking, “Wait, where are the guys?”

Toph smirks. “They couldn’t make it,” she says. 

Katara smiles sympathetically at the disappointed look on Suki’s face. “There’s some problem with the new Fire Sages temple,” she explains. “Sokka’s overseeing the changes to the construction, so he has to stay behind with Zuko and Aang while they figure it out.” She tilts her head toward the beach. “But we can still have fun without them.”

“If anything,” Ty Lee says energetically, looping her arm through Suki’s, “it just got more fun. Now it’s a girls’ trip!”

“Yeah! Girls’ trip!” Toph yells, throwing her arms in the air. A rock shoots out from the ground beneath them and through the dock, sending the staircase sailing back onto the ship. A moan of dismay sounds out from the deck in response.

“Yay,” Mai says in a monotone.

Katara glances at Mai, almost disapprovingly, before taking Toph’s hand again. “I think a girls’ trip is just what we all need,” she says.

“Well, then what are we waiting for?” Ty Lee says excitedly. “Let’s go to the beach!”

* * *

“I thought this was supposed to be the off-season,” Toph says, her face turned down toward the sand and her arms crossed.

The girls look around themselves. The beach is teeming with islanders, from little kids playing in the water to young adults like them playing volleyball. The sounds of lively chatter and playful shrieks pollute the air.

“I can’t even see a space to put our stuff down,” Katara says.

“You were right, Mai,” Suki says, “we should have stayed at the private beach.”

Mai shrugs. “We can always go back,” she says.

“Let’s do it,” Toph says commandingly, “my feet are getting serious sensory overload right now.”

“Can’t we just stay another minute?” Ty Lee begs. “There’s gotta be a spot soon.”

Right on time, a young man in swim trunks and a top knot approaches Ty Lee. “My name’s Zang,” he says. He points behind himself at a group of young men lounging a few feet apart on the beach. “Need somewhere to lay your towel out? We’ve got some extra space.”

“Thanks!” Ty Lee beams at him. “There’s room for my friends, too, right?”

Zang notices the other girls all at once and balks, but quickly begins to nod. “Of course,” he says, almost smoothly. “Anything for a group of such lovely ladies.”

Katara grins when she sees Mai roll her eyes. 

Once they’ve set out their towels, the girls leave Zang and his friends behind, running for the water’s edge. Katara rushes into the waves, as usual, and Ty Lee follows, Katara creating a board of ice for the two of them to ride together. Suki stands with Mai with the water up to their ankles, watching as Toph bends the sand around them into various figures. 

“Wow,” Mai says after another round of creation, “it looks exactly like the old guy staring at us.”

“Down to the tiny shorts,” Suki comments.

Katara and Ty Lee ride back in on another wave, both of them laughing breathlessly. 

“That was so much fun!” Ty Lee cries once she’s caught her breath. She turns to the other girls. “You guys have to try it.”

Toph shakes her head. “No way. I wouldn’t be able to see a thing.”

“Yeah, no, thanks,” Mai says disdainfully. 

Katara frowns.

“I would, but maybe not here,” Suki says, looking around at the rest of the beachgoers. “There are a lot of eyes on us.”

“All right, all right,” Ty Lee agrees, “let’s go back to Zuko’s beach.”

“Finally,” Mai says. 

The girls go back to collect their things and bid farewell to the young men, but Zang stops them.

“Ladies, what’s the rush?” he asks, his arm around one of his friends and a flask in his other hand. 

“We’ve got plans somewhere else,” Katara says in explanation.

“Somewhere far away,” Toph continues.

“Aw, don’t be like that!” Liquid splashes out of the flask and onto Zang’s leg. He wipes it away with his hand. “Look, you girls have got everyone’s eyes on you at this beach,” he says. 

Mai, Katara, and Suki exchange looks. 

“I’m just saying,” Zang continues, “I’m a promoter at this little hot spot in town. It’s called the Dragon’s Lair.”

Katara tries to hold back a laugh. 

Zang continues, unfazed, “We’re having an event tonight, ladies drink free. I think you’d all have a lot of fun if you came.”

Ty Lee brightens. “That sounds great!” she says. 

“I think we actually have plans tonight,” Mai interrupts. 

“What? No, we don’t,” Ty Lee says. 

Suki nudges her arm. “I’m pretty sure we have a dinner to go to.”

“Come after dinner,” Zang says casually, “or come whenever. The party’s all night.” 

“Come on, girls,” Ty Lee says to her friends, “This sounds like just the right thing for a girls’ trip!” 

“I’m in,” Toph says, a mischievous grin on her face, “as long as there are actually free drinks.”

Katara sighs. “Maybe we’ll just go for a little while?” she says, glancing at Suki and Mai.

“An hour,” Suki says sternly.

“At most,” Mai adds.

“Great!” Zang says with seemingly genuine delight. “I’ll get a table for you all. My treat.”

* * *

The girls arrive at the Dragon’s Lair in outfits chosen by Ty Lee. Even Toph wears a swipe of eyeliner, courtesy of Katara, on each eyelid. 

“One hour,” Suki reminds the group before they enter. 

“If that,” Mai says quietly.

They step through the curtain in the doorway to find a crowd of people their own age. Groups of them clump around tables, moving between them and the bar, carrying bottles and trays of drinks. Loud cheers erupt every once in a while, and the general din and low lighting makes it difficult to navigate the space.

“Hey! Over here!” 

Zang waves at them from a table nearby, and holds his arms out as they draw near. No one goes to embrace him. 

“How nice of you ladies to join us,” he says, looking a little dejected. He claps the shoulder of a young man next to him. “This is Muzu.”

The girls all nod at him politely. He winks at Katara. She avoids looking at him.

“Can I get you all some drinks?” Zang asks. He grins. “Remember, ladies drink free.”

“Yes,” Toph answers immediately.

“But, Toph, you’re not sixteen yet,” Suki hisses.

“Just let her order like the rest of us,” Mai says in a bored tone. 

“We’ll each have a rice wine and a beer to start,” Ty Lee says brightly.

“All right,” Zang agrees, getting up to go to the bar.

A worried look crosses Suki’s face. “I’ll go with you,” she offers hurriedly and follows after him.

The rest of them stand in an uncomfortable silence with Muzu. He turns to Katara. 

“So, where are you from?” he asks.

“Southern Water Tribe,” she replies.

“Oh, wow,” he says, cocking an eyebrow. “Cold down there?”

“Very,” she replies curtly. She turns to Ty Lee. “You didn’t finish telling us earlier--how are your chi-blocking lessons going?”

Ty Lee takes over the conversation, gushing about the Kyoshi Warriors and what great students they are, and praising Suki for her leadership and ability to pick up the technique quickly, until Zang and Suki return with the drinks. A look passes between Suki and Mai, and the two pass out the drinks themselves.

The conversation continues easily, floating mostly between the girls. Zang even becomes a decent guy once he has a drink in him, listening actively to Suki explaining the difference between fan and sword-fighting, and even asking Toph to explain her metalbending process.

“I will,” she promises, “as soon as you get me more to drink.” She pulls on his arm. “Let’s go.”

They take off, and Muzu asks the group, “She’s really blind?”

“Yes.” Mai barely looks up from her drink to reply, though when she does, the contempt is clear in her gaze.

Katara feels like her head is swimming after her second drink. She shakes herself. “I’m going to go to the bathroom,” she whispers to Suki. 

Suki looks at her, concern clear in her eyes. “Are you okay? Do you need me to go with you?”

Katara shakes her head and smiles. “I’m fine.”

Mai watches her go.

In the bathroom, Katara splashes her face with cool water and looks at herself in the mirror. Her eyes are bright in the dim light, and her cheeks carry a slight flush. She smiles and dries herself, opening the door to go back out.

Someone is on the other side of it.

“What are you doing?” she demands as Muzu presses into her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“Don’t worry,” he says sleazily, running his free hand through his hair, “I feel it, too.”

“No,” Katara says forcefully, shoving him away. She feels hot and dizzy as she begins to walk back to the table.

“Are you sure?” Muzu asks, grabbing her wrist.

“Yes,” Katara says, ripping it free from his grasp. “I have a boyfriend.”

Muzu smirks. “He doesn’t have to know,” he says, and steps forward to go after her one more time. 

Suddenly, he’s pinned to the wall behind them, his eyes wide with shock. Four knives stick out of his clothing around his shoulders and waist. Katara stares at him, her brain still fuzzy and trying to make sense of what’s just happened.

“She said no.” Mai steps out into the light, another knife glinting in her hand. “I’d take it for an answer, if I were you.”

Mai walks forward and holds the knife to his throat. “We’re going to leave, and you’re going to stay right here until we’re gone, and you’re never going to talk to her, or any of us, ever again.” She twists the knife threateningly. “Understand?”

He gulps and nods desperately. 

Mai moves over to Katara and puts her arm around her shoulders, guiding her out of the building. “Are you okay?” she asks quietly. 

Katara nods mutely. Once they’re outside, Mai helps her sit down on a curb and squats in front of her. “Just breathe,” she says in a low tone. She looks up and then back to Katara. “Suki’s coming now. We’re all going to go home, and we’re going to get you some water.” She puts her hand on Katara’s arm, and Katara looks up at her with wide, tear-filled eyes. 

Suki comes out and puts her hand on Katara’s shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Katara says, though her voice is thick.

Suki nods and looks back at Mai. “Toph’s really drunk. Ty Lee and I are trying to wrangle her, but it’s going to be a couple of minutes.” She squeezes Katara’s shoulder. “But then we’re going to go home right away, okay? I promise.” She runs back inside.

Mai holds Katara’s hand to help her rise, then puts her arm back around her, holding her close. “I’m here,” she says as Katara wipes at her eyes. “Whatever you need.” 

A weak smile makes its way across Katara’s face. “Thanks, Mai.” 

* * *

The girls all drag their mattresses into the largest room in the house and lay them out in a circle, a fan spinning lazily above them. Bowls of snacks fill the empty space in the middle of their mattresses, and they all wear bright green facemasks made from the Southern Water Tribe’s most antioxidant-rich seaweed.

“This is way more my style,” Katara says. 

“Mine, too,” Mai says from the mattress next to hers. 

They exchange small smiles. 

“You said it,” Toph says, kicking her feet up and lying on her back. Her hair has been tied back in an elaborate braid by Ty Lee, her bangs pinned back out of her face to keep clear of the face mask. “My head is killing me.”

“Have more water,” Katara says to her, bending some from a pitcher on the floor into Toph’s glass. “It’ll be even worse tomorrow.”

“Speaking of which, what should we do tomorrow?” Ty Lee asks excitedly, rolling onto her stomach and facing them all.

“Maybe we should take it easy,” Suki says cautiously. “We can sleep in, spend the afternoon on the private beach.”

“Oh, Katara, we’ll have to do more ice-boarding,” Ty Lee says. “I wanna see if we can do more flips.”

Katara nods, smiling lightly at Ty Lee. “Of course.”

“I’d try it again,” Suki volunteers, reaching for another sweet rice cake. 

Ty Lee beats her to it, and pops the treat in her mouth. She grins mischievously at Suki. “I’d ask you to join, Mai, but I guess we can never expect you to get wet,” she says. 

Mai chuckles lightly and reaches for a cream candy. “Not normally,” she says slowly, popping the candy into her mouth and sucking on it for a little while. “But I might be willing tomorrow.”

“Oh, yay!” Ty Lee cheers. “We’ll have so much fun.”

Katara smiles at Mai. “Yeah, we will.”


End file.
